Lisa Smith: podcast appearances and interviews

Lisa Smith is a former Irish soldier and current podcast host of the Recovery Rocks podcast. She is also an author of the book Girl Walks Out of a Bar. Smith was a member of the Irish Army before transferring to the Irish Air Corps in 2011, but she left the service following her conversion to Islam. Her journey took a significant turn when she traveled to Syria in 2015 during the Syrian Civil War, reportedly to join the militant group ISIS, after her marriage broke down. While in ISIS territory, she married Sajid Aslam, a British jihadist, and gave birth to a daughter. Smith has been described as a sympathizer of ISIS, with Irish security officials indicating she was probably not more than a sympathizer. She was detained by US forces in northern Syria in 2019 and subsequently repatriated to Ireland, where she was arrested upon her arrival. Smith faced charges related to membership of a terrorist group and was released on bail. Her case was monitored as part of a broader study on online recruitment to ISIS, as she stated her travel was influenced by an online recruiter. In 2022, she was convicted by the Irish Special Criminal Court of membership in an unlawful terrorist group and sentenced to 15 months in prison. Smith maintains she was not a member of ISIS and denies financial involvement in terrorism, with her case highlighting complex issues surrounding recruitment and sympathizer dynamics.